These are a few of the weird things Americans don’t like on airplanes

10. Not set their devices to airplane mode

9. Exit the plane before people in the rows in front of them

8. Not pay attention during the safety demonstration

6. Use both armrests when someone is sitting next to them

Half of people are okay with hitting seats

Chatting with with strangers is generally okay

A few are very surprising…

Traveling can bring out the worst in anyone but there are some particularly weird things that Americans dislike when flying to their destinations for work or pleasure. But how do we know about these things? Well, a poll of course.

Polling reveals the oddity of Americans

Polling from YouGov of 1,152 Americans in May 2024 on flight etiquette and manners in the air discovered the ten major things that Americans find the most unacceptable while flying on a plane, and what some find acceptable might surprise you.

Photo by Suhyeon Choi on Unsplash

10. Not set their devices to airplane mode

Acceptable: 16%

Unacceptable: 64%

Not Sure: 19%

Photo by Sten Ritterfeld on Unsplash

9. Exit the plane before people in the rows in front of them

Acceptable: 14%

Unacceptable: 65%

Not Sure: 21%

Photo by Chris Brignola on Unsplash

8. Not pay attention during the safety demonstration

Acceptable: 20%

Unacceptable: 66%

Not Sure: 15%

Photo by Calle Macarone on Unsplash

7. Eat strong-smelling food

Acceptable: 14%

Unacceptable: 68%

Not Sure: 17%

6. Use both armrests when someone is sitting next to them

Acceptable: 11%

Unacceptable: 74%

Not Sure: 15%

Photo by Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash

5. Leave trash in the seatback pocket

Acceptable: 11%

Unacceptable: 79%

Not Sure: 9%

Photo by Lukas Souza on Unsplash

4. Watch a movie without headphones

Acceptable: 11%

Unacceptable: 81%

Not Sure: 9%

Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

3. Leave their seat during turbulence

Acceptable: 7%

Unacceptable: 82%

Not Sure: 11%

Photo by Cathal Mac an Bheatha on Unsplash

2. Get drunk

Acceptable: 9%

Unacceptable: 82%

Not Sure: 8%

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

1. Let their kids play in the aisle

Acceptable: 5%

Unacceptable: 86%

Not Sure: 9%

Photo by Steven Thompson on Unsplash

Baffling findings!

How 11% of Americans surveyed could find using both armrests or watching a movie without headphones acceptable is a bit baffling but luckily YouGov also made a few interesting discoveries about some other things Americans find acceptable on planes.

Photo by Ashim D’Silva on Unsplash

Half of people are okay with hitting seats

51% of people said that it was okay to switch seats with another passenger, which makes a lot of sense in some situations where one hasn’t paid for their specific seat choice.

Photo by Al Soot on Unsplash

Chatting with with strangers is generally okay

Another 46% of people said that it was acceptable to make friends and chat with a stranger sitting next to them on the flight even if the same percentage of people said that they traveled by plane once a year or less.

Other acceptable things on a plane

It is also interesting to note that 37% of those surveyed think it is acceptable to bring a dog on board a plane while 26% said the same for cats. Closing the window during takeoff got a 56% acceptability rating, which seems wrong if you’re sitting next to others.

Oh... and its okay to pass gas

32% of those surveyed said that it was okay to silently pass gas while traveling on a plane. 46% said this was unacceptable and another 22% weren't sure...